Disease
by MsRealize
Summary: A great mystery and tragedy befalls again on the Nura clan. Yuki-Onna gets is sick with a strange disease and no one knows how to cure it. It s up to Rikuo to find the solution. But can he make it in time, before his important subordinate and his entire Night Parade becomes victims of the disease.
1. Chapter 1

_All she could hear were terrible screams all over her. She couldn´t escape from them, no matter how hard she tried. They were all around her._

"_Help us!" They screamed all over again, like it was some sort of a prayer._

"_I don´t…" She tried to say, but she was cut off as someone grabbed her arm from behind. She turned to look behind her even though she was scared to look. Behind her, all she could see was a face which was completely covered in blood._

"_Help…" The person said as she locked her eyes on hers. After she recognized the person, she couldn´t help herself; she screamed as hard as she could._

* * *

"Oi! What is going on? What was that terrible scream!" Kurotabou asked as he ran in the mansion, towards the voice.

"Like I know! That´s why we are heading over there", Kubinashi said. He was running behind him.

"But no matter how you think about it. It was Yuki-Onna´s voice. Wasn´t it?" Kejoro asked. She was running beside Kubinashi.

"Yeah, I just hope everything is alright", Kurotabou said and squeezed his staff.

"I think someone should go wake Master!" Aotabo said while running.

"That won´t be necessary", a deep voice said, which made them all stop on their heels. They had arrived to that part of the mansion where Yuki-Onna´s room resides. He was leaning on the wall at the hall and he had his eyes closed.

"Master, you were awake", Kurotabou said with questioning look on his face. The spoken person opened his eyes and separated from the wall. Nura Rikuo, was currently in his night from.

"I´m pretty sure, that, after that scream everyone in the mansion are awake. And I think someone would have been bound to wake up, after this", he just simply added. Then he pointed at the hall in front of them. Everyone looked in front of them, when they saw the hall they were clearly shocked. The entire hall in front of them was completely frozen.

"What the…" Kurotabou started but his sentence was cut off when they heard another loud scream, which was like from another world. Everyone rushed over there, Night Rikuo leading them.

When they got to the Yuki-Onna´s room the door was completely frozen and it was impossible to just get in.

"Oi, Yuki-Onna", Rikuo said and knocked the ice. Immediately after he touched it the ice started to gather in his hand, and if he hadn´t pulled his hand out in time it would have swallowed it.

"What in the world is going on?" Aotabo asked. Rikuo just stared at the door.

"Oi Yuki-Onna! If you can hear us, we´re coming in!" Rikuo yelled. Then, to everyone´s surprise, he pulled out his sword.

"Master, you wouldn´t possibly…" Kejoro tried to ask, but Rikuo had already slashed the door open. Much to everyone´s surprise, the ice just shattered obediently.

When they walked in they were shocked: it was like straight from the middle of a winter. The entire room was covered in ice. They just kept looking around them until they found what they were looking for. She was lying on the bed struggling in her sleep. Rikuo walked over to her and lifted her gently up so that she was now sitting; she still kept on struggling.

"Oi! Yuki-Onna!" Rikuo tried to call out to her, but she didn´t listen to him. Everyone else gathered around them to look at Yuki-Onna.

"What should we do? She is clearly having a nightmare?" Kejoro asked, worry in her voice.

"The best option is to wake her up", Kubinashi said and looked down at Yuki-Onna, who was still struggling in her nightmares.

"Oi Yuki-Onna!" Rikuo yelled with his deep and strong voice. When it did no good he just sighed.

"Tsurara", he said and slapped her face gently. Suddenly she opened her eyes wide open and just stared at Rikuo´s eyes, like it would have been the first time she had seen him.

"Master…" She said with quiet and defeated voice.

"You finally woke up", Rikuo said with a smirk on his face.

"Finally?" Yuki-Onna asked and she seemed just now realize everyone else around them.

"Everyone? What are you doing in my room?" She asked slight panic in her voice. Everyone just sighed out of relief.

"All ends well, I guess", Kejoro said and shrugged her shoulders.

"What are you…" Yuki-Onna tried to ask, but then she realized that the whole room was covered in ice.

She stood up even though Rikuo tried to stop her.

"You shouldn´t get up in such hurry", he said, but Yuki-Onna didn´t listen. She just stared at the room in complete shock.

"I did this?" She asked with silent and shocked voice. No one said anything, but it was clear that she was only yokai in the mansion capable of doing something like this. Without warning she rushed outside of her room, even though others tried to stop her. When she saw the hall she almost collapsed, it was also covered in ice. She couldn´t help herself, her knees betrayed her and she fell to the ground.

"What´s going on?" She asked her gaze glued to the floor.

Rikuo looked at Yuki-Onna for a while before he nodded everyone to leave. Everyone disappeared in complete silence leaving both of them alone. Rikuo walked next to Yuki-Onna and sat on the floor in front of her.

"You okay?" Rikuo asked. Yuki-Onna didn´t answer she just kept on shaking and looking at the floor.

"My fault…" She just kept mumbling.

"That was quite a nightmare you had", Rikuo said. Yuki-Onna lifted her face in surprise. Rikuo wasn´t looking at her anymore.

"Mind if you tell me what it was all about?" When Yuki-Onna remembered the dream, she had shivers and she hugged herself, like she was cold. Cold? That was impossible for Yuki-Onna.

"Well let´s just leave it at that", Rikuo said as he stood up. Then he looked at the Yuki-Onna´s room and grinned, it looked awful.

"Before we clean this up, you should stay somewhere else." Yuki-Onna lifted her face to look at Rikuo, then she turned her face to look the other way; she didn´t want her Master to see such a weak face.

"It´s okay", Yuki-Onna said while biting her teeth together. Rikuo heard her painful voice and turned his face to look at her. Her face was completely covered by her hair.

"It´s okay you don´t have to act tough", Rikuo said and smirked. Yuki-Onna bit her lower lip so hard it started to bleed. Rikuo smelled the blood immediately and lowered himself so that he could see her face. She still refused to look at him in the eye.

"Oi Yuki-Onna", he said trying to make her to look at him. She just turned her head the other way and Rikuo was able to see something glitter in the moon light. After a while he realized it was a tear. He sighed and sat down next to her again.

He kept on looking at her as she tried really hard to hide her face.

"Listen, Tsurara…" Rikuo said slowly. After hearing her name, Tsurara lifted her face and looked at Rikuo; he was staring at the moon.

"As long as you belong in my Night Parade, I want you to understand that you don´t have to shoulder everything on your own. After all…" He said and turned his gaze to her.

"We two drank sakazuki together." He said with a knowing smile on his face, which was very like Night Rikuo. Tsurara looked at him with a surprised look until she lowered her face, she was shaking again.

"I´m so sorry", Tsurara said with a quiet voice. Then much to Rikuo´s surprise she leaned her face to Rikuo´s shoulder.

"I´m sorry, you have to keep someone as weak and useless as me in your Night Parade", she said and her voice was shaking.

Rikuo sighed in frustration; what has gotten in to her today, it must have been a really terrible nightmare.

"None of you, who are in my Night Parade, are useless. The same goes especially for you, Tsurara", he said with a reassuring voice. Tsurara knew that Rikuo was looking at her, but she just couldn´t get herself to look at him. Then the two of them just sat there without saying anything; Rikuo looking at the moon and Tsurara covering her face in Rikuo´s shoulder.

* * *

After a while Rikuo finally realized that Tsurara´s breathing had slowed down; she was sleeping. Rikuo sighed in relief and moved slowly so that he didn´t wake her up. Then he lifted her slowly in his arms and started to walk towards his room.

"Maybe it would have been better if I was never born." When Rikuo heard the small voice he almost dropped Tsurara because he was so surprised. But when he looked at her face he realized that she was still sleeping. Rikuo hugged her more tightly in his arms.

* * *

Rikuo dropped Tsurara gently in his bed and covered her with blanket. Then he just looked at her. After he looked her little bit closer, he discovered small tears falling from her eyes. Rikuo wiped them away gently, which was very unlikely of him.

"Just rest Yuki-Onna and leave the rest to me", he said with a smirk, remembering that this was the second time he said those same words to her. Soon the tears stopped and Rikuo moved to lean against his room´s wall. After a while of watching Tsurara he also fell asleep. At the same time he returned back to his day form.

* * *

"Rikuo! Rikuo! If you don´t wake up you´re going to be late from school." Rikuo heard a gentle voice calling for him. He slowly opened his eyes and after swing his mother reassuring face he got up.

"Morning mother", Rikuo said and cleaned his eyes from the sleep.

"You seem very tired, did something happen yesterday?" Wakana asked with a smile as she stood up.

"Yesterday?" Rikuo asked, and then everything flood back what had happened yesterday night, and suddenly he was wide awake. He stood up and looked around, but Tsurara was nowhere to be seen.

"Mom! Do you know where Tsurara is?" Rikuo asked slight panic in his voice.

"Tsurara? Ooh, Yuki-Onna! Yes she is already up. She should be somewhere…Oi Rikuo!" Wakana yelled as she saw Rikuo running away.

When Rikuo got to that part of the mansion where Tsurara´s room was, he realized that the corridor was clean from ice. At the room; Tsurara was sitting in the middle of the floor with a bucket and mop.

"Ooh Master! Good morning!" Tsurara said with her normal cheerful tune. She had her school uniform on and she had put her hair on a ponytail.

"I woke up so early that I thought I should clean up this mess!" She announced and smiled at him. Rikuo was speechless he had no idea how to respond. Then Tsurara seemed to notice Rikuo´s get up and widened her eyes.

"But master, you´re going to be late, if you don´t dress up soon", Tsurara said and walked past him with the bucket. That seemed to wake Rikuo up and he turned around to look at Tsurara; she had her back turned to him.

"Tsurara…" Rikuo said with a serious voice, which made Tsurara stop.

"Are you really okay?" It took her awhile before she finally answered.

"Yes! Of course, master. Why I wouldn´t be?" Tsurara said with a cheerful voice and turned to look at him with a smile.

"But I must be on my way, master!" After saying that, Tsurara rushed forward and soon disappeared from sight.

"But…" Rikuo tried but Tsurara had already disappeared.

Rikuo couldn´t help him but to sigh and then scratch his head.

"But still, what in the world…" He said. When he remembered that he had carried Tsurara all the way to his room, he blushed.

"Ooh! What was I thinking!" He said in frustration and brushed his hair with both of his hands.

"Master…" After he heard a voice calling out for him he turned around and saw; Kurotabou, Aotabo, Kubinashi and Kejoro standing behind him. They all had really serious looks on their faces.

"Had we not woken up the whole mansion might have been frozen", Kubinashi said and looked at the direction where Yuki-Onna had just disappeared. Rikuo lowered his head, even though he didn´t want to think about it; it was true that this was a bad situation. If they didn´t think something and fast, something even more terrible might happen.

"We don´t know what happened, so it´s too early to make any assumptions", Rikuo said and looked to the direction where Tsurara had just disappeared.

"For the time being, we´re just going to keep an eye on her", he continued said with a serious voice. Everyone behind him nodded in agreement.

* * *

After getting away from her master Tsurara stopped to lean against a wall, to catch her breath. When she remembered last night she couldn´t help but to shiver to the memory of the nightmare she had. The sudden coldness went away quickly as she remembered waking up from Master´s room. She couldn´t help herself but to blush.

"How in the world did I get there", she said and covered her red face with her other hand. Then she remembered that she should get ready for school and rushed towards the kitchen to return the bucket.

In the kitchen everyone was already in middle of making breakfast for every yokai living in the mansion. She headed towards the sink to get rid of the water. When she got ready to pour the water in to the sink her hands suddenly got completely numb and she dropped the bucket; luckily it dropped to the sink and only little amount of water fell to the ground.

"Yuki-Onna?" She turned immediately around and saw Kejoro standing behind her, with worried face.

"I´m sorry, my hand just slipped. Don´t worry, I´ll clean this up immediately", she said hastily and tried to look for a towel.

"It´s okay, you should probably go Aotabo and Master are probably waiting for you", Kejoro said and pointed at the door.

"Yes, thank you", Tsurara said and quickly left the room, leaving worried Kejoro looking after her.

After getting out of the kitchen Tsurara stopped to look at her hand confused. It has returned back to normal and there was really nothing out of the ordinary about it. But still it was clear that for a second her entire hand and arm had gotten completely numb and it had felt like her entire had been cut off.

"What in the world is happening to me?" Tsurara asked, while still staring at her hand.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Nurarihyon no Mago or its characters.**

**Now finally I got this story started! I hope you all enjoy reading it! **


	2. Chapter 2

Tsurara couldn´t help but feel worried about what had happened earlier in the kitchen. What if it happened again? In front of master? No, that can´t happen she would make sure of it. It was just because of the stress and lack of sleep. That´s right she would be fine. She tried reassuring herself.

* * *

Rikuo couldn´t help but stare at his subordinate as she walked in front of him. Something had clearly happened after she had left him this morning. Her usual cheerful attitude was gone and all there was left was strict and nervous behavior.

"_Tsurara, what´s happening to you?" _ Rikuo thought to himself and bit his teeth together.

* * *

They arrived at school in complete silence without even looking at each other as they separated in their own class rooms. Still in the classroom Tsurara kept thinking about last night and about morning.

"_Could my nightmare and my hands going numb; had something to do with each other?" _She thought with a troubled face, without noticing that Aotabo had been looking at her.

"_I can´t help but feel troubled. But still…how could those two be connected", _she thought as she remembered the dream she had last night…

* * *

_It had been completely black until suddenly a red light had cut through the darkness. Tsurara had immediately run towards the red light in hope of gaining some sort of an explanation. When she caught up with the light the darkness suddenly disappeared and everything around her was in red light. _

_ She was in small village, which was probably in Edo era, many years ago. She walked towards in the town without seeing anyone; human nor yokai. Suddenly she saw a cloak in the ground that looked familiar. And as she lowered herself to grab the cloak she heard someone screaming. She immediately stood, at the same time grabbing the cloak, and ran towards the voice. _

_ The voice came from a large square; at first glance it seemed empty but then she realized large amount of people lying there. They were all dead. As she ran to check them they suddenly changed into yokais, which she knew all too well. Kurotabou, Aotabo, Kubinashi, Kejoro, Kappa…all of them were there lying on the ground._

"_Wait! Everyone! This can´t be!" She yelled as she rushed to them. As she got closer to them she noticed that even all the elder yokais were there, everyone from Nurarihyon´s Night parade._

"_What has happened in here?" She thought and suddenly saw a large shadow form behind her. She slowly turned only to see her master stabbed by a long wooden stick and hanging from it._

"_Master…no…" She said in despair. Then he suddenly lifted his face to look at Tsurara in the eye. Tsurara tried to scream but no sound came out from her mouth; her master had completely black eyes and his face was covered in blood._

"_Help…us…" He said with weak voice._

_ She didn´t know what to do, then she heard sudden moves around her; everyone else had also come to life and were roaming towards her. Suddenly they all started to scream around her. She couldn´t help herself she ran as fast as she could._

_But she couldn´t escape from them, no matter how hard she tried. They were all around her._

"_Help us!" They screamed all over again, like it was some sort of a prayer._

"_I don´t…" She tried to say, but she was cut off as someone grabbed her arm from behind. She turned to look behind her even though she was scared to look. Behind her, all she could see was a face which was completely covered in blood._

"_Help…" The person said as she locked her eyes on hers. After she recognized the person, she couldn´t help herself; she screamed as hard as she could._

_ The person behind her was none other than her mother, Setsura. After that she was completely covered by her dead comrades as she just kept on screaming._

* * *

"Oikawa?" Tsurara was cut off from her thoughts when someone called out for her. She lifted her face to discover that everyone was staring at her.

"Yes, teacher?" She asked.

"Nothing, you just had so troubled expression", teacher said with a worried voice. Tsurara looked surprised, had she really looked that serious? She had to get herself together.

"Nothing at all teacher I just didn't ´t get enough sleep last night", Tsurara said with her normal cheerfulness returning. Everyone seemed relieved.

"Okay, try paying more attention", teacher said as she turned towards the board. Tsurara took deep breath and for the rest of the day she tried to stay cheerful and concentrated.

* * *

After school Kiyotsugu had once again summoned them together to discuss about yokai. Rikuo was walking forward at the school corridor. He hadn´t got any good sleep last night and he was really tired.

"Master!" He suddenly heard all too cheerful voice coming from behind and there´s no way that he didn´t recognize the voice.

"Oi! Tsurara! I have told you not to call me ´master´ while we are in school!" Rikuo yelled at her.

"Yes, Master!" Tsurara said with a cheerful tune and big smile. Rikuo couldn´t help but just sigh; sometimes she was just too cheerful.

"So, what is it?" Rikuo asked.

"Well, I just wanted to inform that I´m going to help with the Arawashi clan again, so I´m not coming to the meeting", she said.

"Ooh right", he had completely forgotten about it.

"Just be careful okay."

"Yes! You too master, go home immediately after the meeting! Okay!" Tsurara yelled cheerfully as she rushed forward.

Rikuo couldn´t help himself but to sigh again as he saw Tsurara´s disappearing figure.

"It seems she is back to normal", he said to himself with a smile.

"Rikuo?" He heard someone calling him from the class room. As he turned to look there he saw Kana looking at him.

"Were you just talking to someone?"

"Aah yes, Tsurara just informed that she wasn´t coming because of her part-time job", Rikuo said as he walked inside.

"What! Oikawa isn´t coming?" Shima yelled in despair.

"Now let´s start the meeting!" Kiyotsugu yelled. Rikuo sighed again and sat down, looking out of the window at the same time.

* * *

Tsurara walked slowly back home. It was already dark; the sun had set many hours ago. Nothing weird had happened while she was working, but she couldn´t help but feel uneasy. Something was happening to her but she couldn´t tell what or why.

Her thoughts were cut off when something cold dropped to her head. She lifted her face and saw that it had started to rain.

"Oh no!" She screamed and started to run forward, trying to cover herself with her schoolbag. After running a while she saw a small tree and ran under it. She shook her head and squeezed the water off from her clothes.

"What should I do?" She thought as the rain just got worse.

"For times like these you really should carry an umbrella", a deep voice said behind her. Tsurara was so surprised that she almost jumped to the rain. But she was stopped by a hand that grabbed her wrist. When she lifted her face to look at the person she was even more surprised; it was Night Rikuo.

"Master!" Tsurara said with wide eyes and stared at her master.

"Did you come to pick me up again?"

"I noticed that you had left your umbrella home", Rikuo said and covered her with a big umbrella that he was carrying.

"Shall we head home", he said and started to walk away.

Tsurara quickly shook her surprise away and rushed under the umbrella next to Rikuo. Rikuo just smirked at her and held the umbrella so that the both of them fit under it.

* * *

As they headed towards home Tsurara couldn´t help but think about her dream. She had been so busy during the day that she had almost forgotten about it. But now when she was just walking in complete silence it came back to her. Once again she hugged herself trying to stop herself from shaking.

Rikuo noticed this and thought that she was cold. No wonder if she was, she had been running in rain and her clothes were completely wet. He took the blue cloak he always carried on his shoulders and dropped it on Tsurara´s shoulders.

When Tsurara noticed the sudden weight on her shoulders she turned to look at Rikuo in surprise; until she noticed the cloak on her shoulders. She suddenly turned completely red.

"I thought you were cold", Rikuo just said noticing Tsurara´s face.

"Yes…I mean no…I mean", Tsurara said trying desperately explain her reasons for shaking. Then she suddenly got quiet and turned her face away. It was useless to try to lie to him; he would notice it immediately.

"I was thinking about the dream I had last night", she suddenly said without thinking. Rikuo kept his face looking forward when he answered.

"Was it really that horrifying?" Rikuo asked, even though he could read the answer directly from Tsurara´s face.

"What was it about?" Tsurara swallowed as she tried to keep the tears away.

"About…all of you…" She said with a shaking voice. And that was all she was able to say but she didn´t have to say anything more since Rikuo could understand what kind of dream it was from the way she acted.

Before neither one of them could say anything more, they arrived to the mansion, and everyone were there to greet them.

"Yuki-Onna, look at you, you´re all wet!" Kejoro yelled as she rushed towards her and pulled her inside. Rikuo looked with a wide smirk on his face as Kejoro pulled Yuki-Onna towards the hot bath.

"No, you don´t have to! I can just change clothes and I´m fine!" Tsurara tried to resist.

"What are you talking about it would be good to go in to a hot bath once in a while", Kejoro said pulling Tsurara with her.

"But…Kejoro…" Tsurara said and turned to look at Rikuo with begging face. That face almost made Rikuo laugh but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"I´m sure hot bath would do you good", he said to her and waved his hand. Tsurara had betrayed look on her face as Kejoro dragged her away.

Rikuo sighed again and then looked at the sky, the rain had stopped and the sky was clearing, you could now see the moon.

"Nice night for drinking", Rikuo said as he headed towards the Sakura tree at the back yard. Everyone else just looked behind him as he disappeared from their sight.

"Ooh, master sometimes I just don´t understand him", Kubinashi said as he scratched the back of his head.

* * *

"Off you go!" Kejoro said as she threw Yuki-Onna to the hot bath. Immediately as she touched the hot water she screamed as loud as she could.

"It´s too hot!" She whined and tried to get off from the water but Kejoro stopped her.

"It´s good for you to get in a hot bath once in a while. Otherwise you will catch a flu", Kejoro said

"How could I ever catch a flu! I´m Yuki-Onna I don´t catch flus!" She screamed.

"Yeah yeah whatever", Kejoro said as she turned around to look for a shampoo.

Tsurara used this as an opportunity and froze the floor. Then she jumped off from the water and grabbed the nearest towel. When Kejoro noticed this she tried to quickly turn around but she slipped in to the ice and fell to the water.

"Come back here Tsurara!" She screamed after her.

Tsurara put the towel on and rushed as far as possible from the bath. When she got to the backyard of the mansion she stopped to catch her breath.

"I hate hot baths!" She declared and bit her lower lip.

"Ain´t it a little bit too cold to be moving with just a towel on?" She heard someone asking from her and she turned around to look at the Sakura tree. Her master was sitting on one of its branches. For a while they just kept on staring at each other.

* * *

Rikuo sat peacefully at the tree drinking sake when he heard the screams. First was definitely Tsurara, he had to smile. She took the hot bath thing way too seriously. Then after a while he heard another scream and that was definitely Kejoro.

"_What Tsurara did this time?" _He thought to himself and like an answer to his question Tsurara soon ran to the backyard. Rikuo looked her curiously from the tree. Her long blue hair was completely wet and it glittered in the moon light as she was completely wet, in the moonlight it seemed like she was covered by countless diamonds. Then he suddenly realized that she was wearing only a towel. He wasn´t sure was he supposed to laugh or blush.

"Ain´t it a little bit too cold to be moving with just a towel on?" He said instead with an amused tune. When she turned around the water from her hair flew off and it seemed like a diamond rain.

For a while both of them just kept on staring at each other; like they were the only ones in the entire world. Eventually Tsurara took further notice of the fact that she had only a towel on and slight blush made its way to her cheeks. Rikuo noticed this even from the tree branch and couldn´t help but to smirk. He stood up and jumped in front of her. Tsurara could only look at her master as he jumped in front of her. Before Tsurara could do anything Rikuo had already grabbed her from the ground in his arms.

"Ma-master! What are you doing!" Tsurara asked in panic as her face became even redder.

"Carrying you back to bath", Rikuo said as if it was an undying fact. Tsurara couldn´t help herself she had to lower her face so that her hair covered her face. This was so embarrassing! Being carried by your master, in bridal style, with just a towel on.

"_I hope we don´t run into anyone", _Tsurara thought as she lifted her face and she almost froze. Someone was coming towards them. As the person got closer Tsurara just wanted to disappear underground; the person in front of them was none other than Zen and behind him was apparently coming Shoei. When they would see her like this, she was sure that she would die in embarrassment.

When Zen and Shoei noticed Rikuo they immediately rushed over to him.

"What are you doing up so late Rikuo?" Shohei asked as they reached him.

"Well I just got back a while ago, so that´s why I´m still awake", Rikuo explained with his normal deep tune.

"I see but don´t forget that we have that great yokai meeting tomorrow. As the third you have to be in top shape, so get as much rest as you can. And also…" Zen said and then he seemed just now to realize that Rikuo was holding someone. When Zen got all quiet Shoei realized too that Rikuo was carrying someone. After a while of observing they realized that it was Tsurara.

"Oi! Tsurara what are you doing? Dressed up like that?" Zen said with his usual tune, which made everyone think he was angry.

Tsurara startled as she heard her name and slowly lifted her face.

"Well…umm…this is…" Tsurara tried to explain but her words just tangled up on each other. Rikuo just sighed and decided to help his subordinate out of trouble.

"She escaped from hot bath and I´m taking her back", Rikuo said like it happened all the time and shrugged his shoulders. Zen and Shoei looked like someone had just hit them with a wooden stick and Tsurara had again lowered her face in embarrassment. Then Zen suddenly got something and started to smile knowingly.

"I get it Rikuo…so you´re into something like that…" Zen said with a thinking voice and nodded his head. As he walked past Rikuo he patted his shoulder.

"It´s okay Rikuo, we´re only young once", he said to him as he walked away. Leaving very confused Rikuo looking after him. When he turned around to look at Shoei, he just shrugged his shoulders and went after Zen.

"Oi Tsurara", Rikuo asked. Tsurara slowly lifted her face to look at her master.

"Did Zen just presume that you and I…are…that we…" He tried to form a sentence. This was first time for Tsurara to see her master like this, so insecure.

Soon Rikuo just shook his head and kept on walking towards the baths.

"I hope we don´t run anyone anymore…" Tsurara whispered but she hoped too soon. Soon they saw the Supreme Commander Nurarihyo walking towards them. They tried to pass him without catching his attention but as they had passed him, he whispered after them.

"Aah, to be young again." That made Rikuo stop again and turn around to correct his old man, but he had once again disappeared like a wind.

Tsurara covered her face in Rikuo´s chest and hoped that the nightmare would already come to an end. She was sure that her face would burn a hole through Rikuo´s clothes, it felt that hot. Actually it felt too hot. As Tsurara tried to lift her arm to try her forehead she realized that it felt like it would weight a ton. Then she tried to lift her face but all she could do was just moving it a little bit.

"Rikuo…" Tsurara said without thinking, and that was all she could do before passing out.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Nurarihyon no Mago or its characters.**

**I´m so sorry that it took so long for me to update, but I have been very busy with my new job and all. But hopefully I can now update more often:).**


	3. Chapter 3

Rikuo noticed when suddenly Tsurara started to move around in his arms. Then he heard her say something but couldn´t quite make out what. After saying that, Tsurara suddenly got limp and stopped moving completely.

"Tsurara?" Rikuo asked and lowered his head to see her face. When he turned Tsurara a little bit in his arms to see her face, he realized that she had passed out. When Rikuo leaned his face closer to her face he could feel the hotness from her face; it was like it was on fire.

"Tsurara…" Rikuo whispered and as if she had heard her name she opened her eyes and stared right in his eyes. Tsurara´s gaze was so enchanting that it froze Rikuo to his feet. The magic was broken when Tsurara suddenly started to struggle in his arms.

"Oi Tsurara…" Rikuo said and then he realized that even though her eyes were open, she was still very much asleep.

"No..don´t…" Tsurara struggled in her sleep.

"Tsurara, you´re sleeping! It´s just a dream!" Rikuo screamed trying to wake her up.

Then she suddenly stopped and grabbed Rikuo´s arm tightly with both of her hands. Rikuo was surprised by her strong grasp. He could feel her nails sinking in his arm; he felt something warm starting to flow down from his arm.

"Tsurara get a grip!" Rikuo yelled. He was completely surprised when Tsurara suddenly let go and jumped off from his arms, pushing him at the same time against the wall.

"No! Get away from me!" Tsurara screamed when she at the same time covered her face. Rikuo could only look as his subordinate; as she struggled against herself in front of him.

"Tsurara…" He said as he was about to get up, but then suddenly Tsurara stopped moving and would have fallen to the ground if Kejoro hadn´t been there to caught her.

"Master! Are you all right? We heard someone screaming." When Rikuo looked the other side of the hall, he noticed that everyone was running towards them.

Rikuo just turned his face back to Tsurara, she had calmed down and Kejoro lifted her to her arms, looking her with worry in her face. Then Kejoro seemed to realize how hot Tsurara´s face was and turned to look at Rikuo.

"Master what happened?" Kejoro asked. It took a while before Rikuo finally managed to speak.

"I was bringing her back when she suddenly lost consciousness and then she started to scream", Rikuo explained. Not even once removing his face from Tsurara, while he spoke. Everyone´s faces turned to look at Tsurara, which was now sleeping in Kejoro´s arms.

For a while everyone just kept on staring unconscious Tsurara, but they were woken up by the Supreme Commander.

"What is all this fuss about!?" He yelled as he walked towards them Gyuuki and Karasu-Tengu behind him. Then he noticed the big crowd and Rikuo in his night form, but what soon got his full attention was Tsurara, which has once again started to struggle in her sleep.

"_It couldn´t be…"_ Supreme Commander thought and sweat dropped from his face. After looking struggling Tsurara for a while, he finally snapped out of it and realized that almost everyone in Rikuo´s Night Parade was present, and slight panic surfaced in his mind.

"What are you standing for!?" He yelled in panic, which was very unlike him and that made everyone look at him.

"Zen, take Tsurara to her room! Everyone else return your rooms and don´t leave there until you get the permission!" He yelled and when everyone just stared at him confused, he released some of his fear.

"Didn´t you hear me!" He yelled and the space around him was completely covered by his fear that made everyone scatter to different directions, everyone except Rikuo and Zen. Zen rushed quickly to Kejoro and Kejoro handed Tsurara to her, then she took her leave. Zen quickly rushed away with Tsurara and Rikuo was about to follow him but his grandfather stopped him.

"Rikuo…" He said with a deep and serious voice. Rikuo turned to look at his grandfather last time he spoke to him this seriously was when he was about to leave to Kyoto and he stopped him.

"You shouldn´t get close to Tsurara for a while", Supreme Commander said and crossed his arms.

"Why?" Rikuo asked he had now completely turned to his grandfather and was staring him eye to eye.

"If I´m right the situation is really bad", Supreme Commander said and bit his teeth together.

"Supreme Commander, could this be…" Karasu-Tengu started but Nurarihyo interrupted him.

"Most likely…" Nurarihyo said and then sighed.

"What do you mean?! Old man", Rikuo yelled to his grandfather. Nurarihyo glanced at his grandson and then turned around.

"Come we have a lot to talk about", Nurarihyo said as he walked away, Gyuuki and Karasu-Tengu behind him. After a while of hesitation Rikuo finally followed them.

* * *

They walked to the meeting hall and Nurarihyo sat down and Rikuo sat in front of him. Karasu-Tengu and Gyuuki sat a little further away from them.

"So Old man, what did you mean by what you said earlier?" Rikuo asked as soon as they had sat down. Nurarihyo lightened his pipe and took deep breath, and then he blew some smoke out before starting.

"Well I can´t be completely sure before Zen brings the news. It could be that this is just my hunch, but I want to be absolutely sure", Nurarihyo said and closed his eyes.

"What if your predictions are correct", Gyuuki asked and glanced at the Supreme Commander. Nurarihyo blew some smoke out again before answering.

"Then we´re in deep shit", Nurarihyo said opening his eyes at the same time. Rikuo had never seen such a look in his grandfather's eyes, it was clearly…fear.

* * *

Meanwhile Zen had just carried Tsurara back to her room and put her to her bed. Then he started to examine her.

"Oi Tsurara, can you hear me?" He tried to wake her up, but she was too deep of a sleep that she didn´t hear a thing he said.

"Oh man, you´re always such a pain in the neck", he sighed but then a smile formed on his face.

"But I suppose that´s why Rikuo likes you so much." After saying that he touched gently Tsurara´s face to move hair away from it, but when he touched her face he immediately pulled his hand back in shock.

"What the hell…"

Rikuo, Nurarihyo, Karasu-Tengu and Gyuki waited patiently at the meeting hall for some news from Zen. After Nurarihyo had earlier declared that they might be in big trouble, he hadn´t said anything after that. Nurarihyo just smoked his pipe deep in thought. Karasu-Tengu and Gyuuki just sat without doing or saying anything. Rikuo was probably the one who was most nervous about the situation, thought like his grandfather he was very good at hiding it. At the moment he just sat quietly in front of his grandfather, eyes closed, and trying to keep his cool.

"_What in the world did the old man mean when he said those things? Big trouble? But what any of this has to do with Tsurara? And more importantly, that emotion I saw a while ago on Old man´s face, was definitely fear", _Rikuo thought in his mind.

Rikuo tried to keep his mind together but all those questions swirling in his mind, even he couldn´t hold on much longer. When he finally gave up on trying staying calm, and opened his eyes, Zen came rushing inside. All their faces turned to look at Zen, which was sweating and breathing heavily.

"Ooh, Zen you finally here?" Nurarihyo said with so calm voice that it almost made Rikuo thought that he had seen wrong earlier.

"Supreme Commander, this is…" Zen started but was cut off when he started to cough wildly.

"Oi Zen, calm down", Rikuo said and got ready to stand up but Zen stopped him.

"I don´t think that it´s safe to come close to me now", Zen said and held out his hand. Rikuo looked at him with a questioning face.

"Well Zen considering your carefulness I would say that I was right?" Nurarihyo asked and glanced at Zen, which had finally calmed down.

"Supreme Commander what in the world is that?" Zen asked while looking straight at Supreme Commander. Nurarihyo sighed and took deep breath before glancing at his grandson.

After looking at his grandson for a while, Nurarihyo looked at Zen again.

"Maybe it´s best for you to first explain to us what exactly did you see", Nurarihyo said and waved Zen to sit down. Zen seemed reluctant at first to sit down, but then he just sighed and sat down next to Rikuo.

"Well, from what I can tell at this point Tsurara has a very high fever", Zen started.

"Fever? Yuki-Onna has a fever? That´s physically impossible! Yuki-Onnas can´t catch fevers", Garasu-Tengu said immediately. Rikuo had almost said the same, but then he remembered how hot her face had been earlier, and decided to just listen what Zen had to say.

"Yes it is, since Yuki-Onnas body temperature is normally under normal temperature, you could say it´s almost under zero. But currently her body temperature is so high that if she was human she would be long dead already", Zen said and wiped off sweat from his face.

"So what do you think?" Nurarihyo asked and looked at Zen.

"Well, thanks to the fact that she is a Yuki-Onna, her body keeps on fighting against the high temperature and is trying to lower it down. Since normally her body temperature is close to zero, her body is now trying to lower the temperature back to normal. Of course, it´s not that easy, but this is keeping her body from completely stopping functioning", Zen finished.

"So she will live?" Rikuo dared to ask and looked straight at Zen. Zen looked at Rikuo with serious face.

"Yes, for now at least", Zen said and looked at his hands. Rikuo sighed in relief.

"But this is only a temporary solution, sooner or later her body gets too tired on lowering the temperature, and when that happens her body will get too hot and then it will stop functioning completely."

Rikuo looked at his friend in horror; would Tsurara really die just like that? After everything they had been through? After surviving through so many battles? She would just die because of some stupid flu! That was so unbelievable! Rikuo couldn´t help but bite his teeth together. Was there really nothing he could do?!

Nurarihyo looked at his grandson as he swelled in agony. Then he suddenly sighed and everyone in the room looked at him; including Rikuo.

"So she will survive for now, because she is Yuki-Onna. Is that it Zen?" Nurarihyo asked and looked at Zen. Zen nodded, without understanding where the conversation was heading.

"What if someone else, other than Yuki-Onna would catch the same illness?" That question made everyone quiet for quite a while, but slowly slight terror spread in everyone´s faces.

"This is terrible! We must prevent anyone from leaving the mansion!" Garasu-Tengu yelled in panic and rushed outside.

"I will inform about this to Gozumaru and Mezumaru, and make sure that they prevent anyone entering or leaving from the mansion", Gyuki said with calm voice, before exiting form the room.

Only Nurarihyo, Rikuo and Zen stayed in the room.

"Oh my", Nurarihyo said with careless voice, but people who knew him could easily see through his mask; inside he was as scared as all of them.

"I will go and see how Yuki-Onna is and make sure no one else enters her room", Zen said and stood up.

"Are you sure that´s wise?" Rikuo asked and looked at Zen. Zen looked back with questioning face.

"If this disease is as bad as we think, is it wise to approach her?" Saying these words made Rikuo´s heart ache but it was the reality. Zen realized that saying these words was really hard for Rikuo. He really wanted someone to look after Tsurara, but at the same time he didn´t want to risk anyone else´s life.

"You don´t have to worry about me Rikuo. After all I was the one who examined her, so if anyone has the biggest risk of getting the infection it is me", Zen said and gave a big smirk to Rikuo, before he started to cough terribly.

"And besides…my body is already in quite a bad shape, so there´s really not much it can do to me", he continued.

Rikuo looked at his loyal subordinate with deep respect.

"All that said, I will now get out of here", Zen said and walked outside, closing the door behind him. And so Rikuo and Nuraruhyo were alone.

"So…" Rikuo started and turned to look at Nurarihyo.

"Are you finally going to tell me what the hell is going on?!"

* * *

Disclaimer: I don´t own Nurarihyo no mago or its characters

Finally, I got this chapter out! :) I´m sorry it took so long, I´m currently very busy with my last school year and job, and all.


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